1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed toward an assembly, system, and method for magnetic head design. Specifically, the present invention divides a head assembly having head sections for high track density, flexible media storage applications.
2. Background of the Invention
A read/write head is a device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape. The surface of the tape is moved past the read/write head. Data is written using a write head. The write head consists of a write coil wound around a highly permeable magnetic core consisting of write poles separated by a small gap—the “write gap.” When current is passed through the coil, it produces a magnetic field that magnetizes the core material. This then produces a magnetic field in the write gap that magnetizes the magnetic recording media as it passes through the write gap. By switching polarity of the current in the coil, data can be stored in the media as regions of different magnetization recorded in the magnetic recording media. The regions of opposite recorded magnetization, corresponding to stored data bits, are detected by a read sensor as the recorded media is passed back over the read/write head. A read/write head for high track density tape typically writes or reads multiple data channels simultaneously.
Data throughput may be increased by increasing the number of channels on a read/write head. However, increasing the number of parallel data channels places significant demand on the head fabrication technologies. Augmenting the number of data channels also makes the head more cumbersome due to the number of required conductors by increasing the flex stiffness, the size of the read and write currents carried by the flex, and the dimensions of the flex. Thus, in order to improve data throughput, one must overcome obstacles in head fabrication and the logistics of accurately aligning the more unwieldy head assembly.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved read/write head design with enhanced data throughput.